Ryan lowered his eyes, spinning the pen of power between his slender fingers.


    The others nced at Mrs. Hoffman''s outburst, shaking their heads with a hint of contempt in their eyes.


    "Zoe disappeared on her way to the hospital for treatment, and no one has seen her since then! You must have taken her!"


    Mrs. Hoffman stormed up to Ryan. She mmed her hands on the table repeatedly, ignoring the presence of the board members.


    "Ryan! Send my daughter back to me! Or else... I''ll call a shareholders'' meeting and kick you out of the Hoffman Group! Send Zoe back to me!"


    Ryan stopped spinning the pen in his fingers. However, he did not lift his gaze to look at his distressed mother.


    "Mrs. Hoffman, what are you doing?"


    Unable to bear the scene any longer, a fellow director spoke up. "Ms. Hoffman might''ve disappeared because she jumped out of the car when the officers weren''t looking. If you want to make a fuss, go to the police."


    "Exactly. We''re in the middle of a board meeting. You shouldn''t bring up your trivial family matters here. It will damage the Hoffman Group''s reputation."


    "Trivial family matters?"


    Mrs. Hoffman''s eyes widened. She looked as if she was about to attack someone. "Is that all you can say about this matter? Are you heartless? If it were your child, would you still be so indifferent?!" The directors fell silent, shocked by her words.


    The directors thought that Mrs. Hoffman, the matriarch of the Hoffman family, had never been so irrational when her husband was still alive. Being a young widow seemed to have driven her to the brink of madness.


    As the key person behind ire''s outburst, Ryan finally spoke with calm authority.


    "That''s all for today. Meeting adjourned."


    "Yes, Chairman Hoffman!"


    The directors quickly rose and left the room, eager to escape the conflict.


    The unified "Chairman Hoffman" struck Mrs. Hoffman like a blow to her head. It made her earlier outburst seem even more foolish and desperate.


    As everyone left, the meeting room grew cold and empty.


    "Ryan, did you kidnap Zoe? Where did you take her?!" Mrs. Hoffman demanded, her eyes red with fury.


    "One should always dispose of filthy garbage," Ryan responded with cold indifference, his eyes dark and inscrutable.


    "Send Zoe back to me! She''s my flesh and blood!"


    Mrs. Hoffman''s voice was hoarse with desperation. "You''ve already abandoned me as your mother. Zoe is all I have left. Send her back to me!"


    Ryan silently watched her madness unfold.


    His mother, who only knew how to spoil her daughter without any proper upbringing, had been weak and easily bullied her whole life. Yet now, she bristled with all her spikes to protect a monster.


    She said Zoe was her flesh and blood.


    But it seemed that she had forgotten that he was also her son.


    She overlooked that after her husband''s death, her son bore the family''s burdens on his shoulders, ensuring his widowed mother and orphaned sister were not mistreated and livedfortably in the Hoffman family.


    Seeing that Ryan remained unresponsive, ire finally revealed her true intentions, threatening through gritted teeth. "You won''tply, will you? Fine... I''ll go to the police and report you then! I''ll expose your abuse and kidnapping of your sister to the media! I''ll make sure public opinions condemn you and ruin your reputation!"


    tter.


    Ryan tossed his phone onto the table. A video began to y on the screen. Zoe''s desperate cries and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the meeting room.


    Mrs. Hoffman stared at the phone,


    her face turning deathly pale as she watched the three men assault her daughter repeatedly. She felt her heart torn to shreds. She then clutched her head, tearing at her hair, jumping, crying, and screaming.


    "My daughter... My daughter!"


    "She''s not your daughter! She''s the monster you''ve nurtured."


    Ryan turned off the video. His cold, pale lips curled slightly. "Since you couldn''t properly raise your daughter, the cruel world will have to teach her how to be a human being. Mrs. Hoffman, I know you must be heartbroken right now. Well, She is your daughter after all. Go ahead and cry since you''ll never see her again."


    Mrs. Hoffmanpletely lost her sanity.


    Sheughed through her tears, cursing and gnashing her teeth. Her legs gave out, and Dean called two bodyguards to carry her out.


    "Chairman Hoffman, I''ve arranged for Mrs. Hoffman to take your private elevator directly to the VIP parking lot. I guarantee she won''t encounter anyone along the way," Dean said, recalling Mrs. Hoffman''s hysterical behavior.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    "There''s no need for that. Let her walk out through the main entrance."


    Ryan stood with his back to Dean. His tall and


    cold shadow in front of the


    wowsing figure cast a


    floor-to-ceiling window. "Since she walked in through the main door openly, let her leave the Hoffman Group''s building in the same state, in front of everyone."


    Dean immediately understood.


    Ryan wanted the entire Hoffman Group and the world to know that Mrs. Hoffman had lost her mind. Believing the words of a lunatic would be madness itself.


    "Did you record everything that happened in the meeting room just now?" Ryan asked, his expression indifferent.


    Dean nodded. "Yes, I did."


    "Contact a reputable mental hospital. Have them issue a diagnosis, and then send someone to take Mrs. Hoffman away as soon as possible."


    "Yes, Chairman Hoffman," Dean responded with a cold smile.


    With the diagnosis proving Mrs. Hoffman''s mental illness, Ryan would gain guardianship over her and all her assets. The shares Mrs. Hoffman held would naturally fall into his hands as well. "Also, I just received news that Zoe has been ced on a smuggling ship. In five days, she will arrive in Terranova. What would you like to do then...?"


    "Let her fend for herself."


    Ryan closed his eyes wearily and took a deep breath. "I don''t want to waste any more energy on trash like her."


    Dean sighed. "You''re right. It''s not worth it."


    "Dean, do you think I''ve be frightening?" Ryan stood there, looking heartbreakingly frail.


    "No, you are the embodiment of justice, the monster yer. You are merely making the wicked pay for their deeds."


    Ryan murmured, "Those who fight monsters eventually be monsters themselves."


    Just then, Ryan''s phone rang.


    Seeing that it was a call from Justin, Ryan steadied himself and answered, "Hey, Justin." "Ryan,e to the hospital quickly. Carrie just woke up!"